Drawing cards from the mind?

[Red Angel]

I have a few times attempted doing cardless readings (that is a reading where you don't use physical cards, but instead do the spread in your head, and use the images on the cards as you remember them) --- but there is one aspect of doing such a thing that I would like to know if anyone has a helpful technique.

I would like a technique for drawing a card in my head in which the following two requirements are met.

(1) Over a period of time, I want the full Tarot deck to be used (rather than have a few cards that appear in all or most spreads while other cards appear either rarely or never at all)

(2) I want the selection of cards to be either (a) kinda random, like the shuffling of a deck or (b) a reflection of the same intuitive wisdom that aids me in interpreting the pictures on the cards when I see them.

Does anyone know of such a technique?

Thanks,
Sophia

 

[starrystarrynight]

I think that would be a personal endeavor--one that couldn't be taught by anyone else. And I wonder if its randomness of picks is even possible because one's own thought processes would get in the way??? I'm not sure...

[When I read your title, though, I thought you were talking about knowing what the cards were going to be before pulling them.

I did a three-card reading tonight and before I pulled the cards, I knew what two out of the three of them were going to be. But only two of the three. The third didn't come to me at all before the draw.

This happens to me a lot, though, and I thought that was what you were going to address here.]

 

[Red Angel]

No -- I want to use a mental method of selecting cards instead of by shuffling and drawing.

It is the mental method that will allow me to do a reading when either (a) I am not at liberty to just unfold the Tarot cloth and get out my deck as well as (b) when I am deprived of having the cards themselves.

 

[Alta]

I am a little doubtful here, but offer a tentative suggestion. Have you ever heard of 'memory palaces'? You'll probably have to do an internet search; it is something developed by the SJ (Jesuits) a long time ago. I have used it successfully, especially at a period of my life where I had to memorize huge amounts of interlinked information. This was before the internet, so I got it from a book.

Once you build your memory palace of the whole deck, then you have the structure. Now, the system is designed to be used randomly, but since it is a 'place', or 'structure', you could move through it randomly and select cards that way.

 

[6 Haunted Days]

I am a little doubtful here, but offer a tentative suggestion. Have you ever heard of 'memory palaces'? You'll probably have to do an internet search; it is something developed by the SJ (Jesuits) a long time ago. I have used it successfully, especially at a period of my life where I had to memorize huge amounts of interlinked information. This was before the internet, so I got it from a book.

Once you build your memory palace of the whole deck, then you have the structure. Now, the system is designed to be used randomly, but since it is a 'place', or 'structure', you could move through it randomly and select cards that way.

This really sounds fascinating and helpful, thank you! I remember vaguely reading something on this years ago.

 

[Alta]

I was working this out in more detail in the shower.

You would need to use a scenic deck (I think) and with which you are very familiar. The longest part would be the construction of your palace and you might think out how you would want to build it. That is, Majors, Courts, suits each with separate areas, or line up the Majors with their minor numbers, or other links. I would keep the central foyer relatively clear, maybe put a crystal ball in the centre.

Now, randomizing the cards. I was thinking about that and you might have use intuition as to where you go. Maybe focus on the crystal ball (or whatever inspires you), and either have positional meanings, or numbers or cards ready to mind (or not, that could be intuitive too) and 'run' through the palace, grabbing the cards as they seem right.

This sort of thing takes time up front, plus you have to quickly run through your palace every day to make sure that no bits had crumbled (this takes mere seconds). But when you use a well structured and maintained palace, it takes mere seconds to use it for its purpose.

To give you an idea, to test it I constructed a palace so that I could names all of the US states, in alphabetical order, forwards or backwards, and starting at any state. I did this as a 'party trick' for years. But then I neglected it and the structure is mostly broken now.

This mental trick is far less daunting than reading the above might seem. And you will literally always have your fav deck on hand.

ps: I checked: using 'memory palace' in Google will give you tons of relevant material.

 

[starrystarrynight]

Marion's information is very interesting!

No -- I want to use a mental method of selecting cards instead of by shuffling and drawing.

Well, it seems to me that the cards are merely tools that bring forth one's intuition. Some people use other things to do that, as well (stones, shells, toothpicks, animal crackers(!) )

So, I wonder if you could focus on something in the room that falls in random patterns in order to stimulate your intuition. (Actually, I know this can be done...I have read sunlight patterns on a wall--and since I was a child have read ceiling sand/stucco while laying in bed.)

But I know that isn't exactly what you are talking about. Just a thought, though.

 

[AJ]

one caveat about wanting all the cards to come up over time, drawing randomly. I've been tracking my card of the day for over a year and using different decks each week, all well shuffled each day, there are still to this day cards that have not come up at all, and some that have come up at least 10 times.

 

[Joermit]

I do 'cardless' readings from time to time... I'm not sure if this is exactly what you are talking about, but I'll happily explain my process.... I have an excellent memory and the images of the rider deck are quite engrained in my mind... basically what I do is get a blank piece of paper and a pencil and go through the same prep process/ritual as if I had my cards--a lil prayer, clearing my mind, etc... and then I sorta just let cards come to mind and I scribble down the cards in their positions in the spread on the paper, their titles that is... it ends up being just shorthand scribbles in a rough approximation of the spread.... and then I review what I've got and sorta pull up the mental image of the cards and just let the reading flow... it's a really neat way of reading, almost channeled in an automatic writing style... I find it works just as effectively as having the cards... I used to do this for clients who insisted that they didn't want a tarot reading... or a crystal reading... or a playing card reading... they just wanted a "psychic" reading... so I just asked if it would be okay if I made some notes and then read for them and didn't mention the cards I was mentally working with... I do prefer to work with actual cards though as it helps sometimes to be able to point out the visual aspect of the cards to really hit home with people... I hope that helps... thanks!

Joey